Wednesday, November 5, 2008

November Newsletter

Calendar of Events:
§ Rep Council Meeting – Thurs, Nov. 6th, 4:00 pm, LFG, Room 406
§ Meeting with Lisa Kaplan @ It’s a Grind, Mon Nov. 10th , 4:30
§ Meeting with Teri Burns – Tues., Nov. 11th, 5:30 @ Graziano's Pizza (near It's Grind)
§ School Board Mtg. – Wed, Nov. 12th, D.O. 6:00 pm


(Board Member meetings are generally the Monday and Tuesday before board meetings each month @ It’s a Grind. Please feel free to attend or send us items of interest to address with board members.)

CTA Scholarships Offered
Please ask your site reps about CTA scholarships.

Safety Survey
Please complete the safety survey and return to your site rep as soon as possible.


Communication Committee – as part of the board goals, the district is looking for teacher input – please contact your site rep for details


Updates from The Standard
Want help figuring out how much insurance you and your family need? We’ve made it simple! If you’re wondering how much Life Insurance to get for you and your family or your need for Disability Insurance, then the Insurance Needs Calculators can help! Simply login to MyCTA at www.cta.org and go to The Standard pages. There you’ll find links to the new calculators that will help you determine your need for Disability income protection and Life Insurance for you and your dependents. It’s a free tool to help you get one step closer to a complete financial plan. Newly hired CTA member, or new to your district? We have good news about coverage! If you’re a newly hired CTA member, or transferring to a new district, now’s the time to get coverage. During your first 120 days of new employment, you have a one-time opportunity to enroll in Disability Insurance and/or up to $200,000 of Life Insurance – without showing proof of good health! The Standard’s Member Enrollment Brochure has details and enrollment materials – or even easier, you can enroll online by visiting MyCTA at www.cta.org.
Are you enrolled in a non CTA-endorsed plan? If you have enrolled in non CTA-endorsed coverage and would like to switch into the only CTA-endorsed Life and Disability plans, The Standard will offer special enrollment periods from October 1 through November 30, 2008 and from April 1 through May 31, 2009. You’ll be able to transfer without providing proof of good health! You can transfer to an equal amount of coverage. If an equal amount is not available, you can choose the next closest option — higher or lower! Has your family status changed? Within 31 days of a Family Status Change, you can add or increase Life coverage up to $200,000 and/or add Disability coverage, all without providing proof of good health! A Family Status Change includes birth/adoption, marriage/domestic partnership, divorce/dissolution or other qualifying events. Questions? The Standard is there to help! Call The Standard’s dedicated CTA Customer Service Department at 800.522.0406 (TTY). Or, email ctaservice@standard.com. And if you haven’t taken a look at CTA’s Web site, visit MyCTA at http://www.cta.org/.

You are invited to a NTA Social Event!!
DATE: November 4th
TIME: 5-9pm
PLACE: Malabar Restaurant
(2960 Del Paso Rd. Natomas)
Watch the election results while hanging out with your fellow colleagues
hors d'oeuvres will be provided
No Host Bar

NTA is proud to endorse the following slate in the Natomas School Board Elections:
*Jules Tran
*Susan Heredia
*Bruce Roberts

Be sure to vote November 4th

(Please contact your site rep if you can help hold a sign at polling places on Tuesday)

Events around Natomas

NTA executive board assisted 150 REI employees and the arbor foundation in planting trees on the Regional Park behind Inderkum on Oct. 18th

On October 19th, NTA hosted a booth at the Creekside community festival. The booth helped get the word out about the Natomas School board candidates.

New employees are invited to attend the new employee party in December -date and time TBD.

CTA Winter Conference Season!!
Good Teaching Conference-North
January 9-11, 2009
The Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport,Burlingame, CA

Rural Issues Conference
January 16-18, 2009
The Orleans Hotel and Casino,Las Vegas, NV

Urban Issues Conference
February 27-March 1, 2009
The Fairmont Hotel,Newport Beach, CA

Equity and Human Rights Conference
March 6-8, 2009
The Fairmont Hotel,San Jose, CA

Good Teaching Conference-South
March 13-15, 2009
The Hyatt Regency Orange County, Anaheim,Garden Grove, CA

Each conference features outstanding keynote speakers, interactive workshops, breakout sessions, and plenty of time to network and share experiences with other CTA members.

Register at: http://cta.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5bee87be6102a8bb0cb7c97dc&id=7a11d1605c&e=9322a213b7.

Did you know that NTA has a blog? Stop by and add your thoughts or comments!
http://natomasteachers.blogspot.com

Close School Board Election in Natomas USD

The Sacramento County Board of Elections has reported these results this morning:

Governing Board Member NATOMAS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Vote for 3 (WITH 50 OF 50 PRECINCTS COUNTED)

SUSAN M. HEREDIA . . . . . . . . 7,675 29.54
BRUCE ROBERTS . . . . . . . . . 6,095 23.46
JULES A. TRAN . . . . . . . . . 4,029 15.51
PATRICIA A. ADAMS. . . . . . . . 3,031 11.67
BRIZA TRUJILLO CARDENAS. . . .2,610 10.05
FREDRICK S. (RICK) COHEN . . . . 2,477 9.53
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 61 .23
Over Votes . . . . . . . . . 9 Under Votes . . . . . . . . . 26,414

NTA wants to thank every teacher who helped in the elections for local offices, city, state and national. Thank you for all of your precious time volunteered, your civic-minded efforts, and your willingness to be part of history in the making. Yes, it was that important. Our students will benefit from your generosity.